


The Itty Bitty Fellswap Committee

by BunnyBrea



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bitty Human, Dangerous Situations, It's fell swap I'm just adding both for the tags, PTSD, Sans and Papyrus adopt a bitty, She's been traumatized, Swapfell, Troubled Past, but is getting better with their help, but overall fun and fluffy, fellswap, fellswap is the red one, female - Freeform, platonic friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28585188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyBrea/pseuds/BunnyBrea
Summary: Setting: Surface of the fellswap universe. Post-pacifist run.Sans and Papyrus are on the surface and life is good. But something is missing, so they decide to adopt a human bitty. Their new housemate has some issues though, and it's going to take a lot of work to bring her out of her shell.
Kudos: 30





	The Itty Bitty Fellswap Committee

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you that have read Bitty in a House of Skeletons and Bitty in a Universe of Skeletons, this is the swap fell universe - Razz and Rus - after they get to the surface. Their universe is similar to Bunny's in that there are human bitties after they escape the underground, so, in honor of their friend Bunny, they decide to adopt one. 
> 
> If you haven't read these fics, it's okay, they're not required reading to enjoy this one.

“You know, I’m kind of surprised you guys volunteered for this. Grateful, but surprised.”

The voice stirred me from my doze. I had pushed myself into the back far corner of the crate and hid under a blanket during the car ride, not really sleeping, just letting my mind disassociate.

Were we here already? My heart began to pound and I took deep breaths to calm myself.

A new, deep voice answered. “Why?”

“You just never really showed interest in bitties before.”

“Just figured we’d help you out,” the voice said again. This was the voice of my new caretaker. A monster. After being rescued, I had been told that I would be living with a pair of monsters for a while.

“What’s her name?” the voice asked.

“Don’t know, we’ve been calling her ‘Shy’, but maybe when she opens up a bit she’ll want to choose a real name.”

I felt the crate go still as it was set down. I lifted my head and peered through one of the holes, getting a sense of this new place. I saw pieces of regular home décor and furniture, then movement from the new monster. I saw white, like a flash of bone.

“So, Alphys told me this one needed special care, but she didn’t really bring me up to speed on her condition.”

“She was rescued from an abusive situation,” the carrier explained, “when Alphys brought her to the bitty center she hid from us, even the other bitties. Screamed and cried whenever someone tried to pick her up. Won’t eat, has panic attacks, especially during medical treatments. She’s basically been under sedation the whole time, that’s why I needed a volunteer to take her in – she needs special attention and a peaceful environment which we can’t always provide at the center.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” the new monster said, “things are quiet here, and if I’m not home my brother is.”

“Good. You’ll have to be patient with her – I see you’ve set up a bitty corner which is good, and you have the pamphlets I gave you on care?”

“Yes, I’ve read them all extensively and done plenty of my own research.”

“Excellent. You came highly recommended by Alphys, and being in the Royal Guard makes you a trustworthy caregiver.”

“So, how does this work now? Is she sedated? Should I introduce myself?”

“Yes, I sedated her for the car ride, but it’s not too heavy, she’s just a little out of it. Introduce yourself and leave the crate open, let her come out on her own and leave her near the bitty corner so she can get to it easily. She’ll be hungry once she’s awake.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

“No, thank _you_. Call me if you need anything at all.”

“I will.”

There was silence, the sound of a door opening then closing, then soft footsteps. I looked toward the bars of the crate sleepily and saw a face appear. It was a skull with glowing eyelights.

“Hello, Shy,” the skull said, “my name is Sans, I’ll be taking care of you.”

* * *

When I woke again, it was to the sound of pots and pans, and two voices talking.

Where was I?

I jolted up fearfully, feeling more alert and energized now that I had slept off the sedative.

Sedative, right, for the car ride, because we had gone to the monster’s house. The new monster that I was living with . . .

I trembled and looked toward the opening of the crate, hating that the barred door was open, leaving me vulnerable. I just wanted to hide away in a place where no one could ever reach me . . .

A face suddenly appeared, orange eyelights filling up my little dark space. I gasped and scrambled back.

“Hey, Sans, she’s awake,” The newcomer said. Then he reached inside the crate, skeletal hand reaching for me.

I screamed and ducked under my blanket.

“Papyrus!” Sans’s voice scolded him, “the pamphlet specifically said not to pick her up! Did you even read them?!”

I felt the blanket close in around me as the hand continued to grab. The blanket was pulled into a sack and, trapped, I was pulled forward out of the crate. I felt myself hanging in the air, then coming to rest on something. The blanket was released, opening up so that I found myself sitting in the palm of the new monster. It was another skeleton, though far different than Sans.

Shaking, I scrambled back, trying to jump, but his fingers clamped down on me, holding me in place.

I screamed again and struggled.

“ _Papyrus_!” Sans’s voice was harsh, making me wince. I turned and saw that he was struggling in the kitchen, trying to pull something out of the oven and take his gloves off so that he could intercept his brother.

“Relax, bro, I ain’t going to hurt her,” Papyrus said. He stared down at me curiously, orange eyelights wide. “Besides, she doesn’t need to stay in that crate, not with all the work you put into the corner.”

“That’s not–!” Sans finally got his gloves and apron off and stomped toward Papyrus. “That’s not your decision! You are breaking important trust boundaries right now!”

Papyrus lifted me up a little higher so that we were face-to-face. I whimpered and turned away, shrinking in on myself.

“What’s your name, little darlin’?”

“The monster that dropped her off called her ‘Shy’,” Sans answered. His hands were on his hips and was glaring down at Papyrus, who I realized was sitting on the floor.

“Fits," Papyrus said, “well, I’m Paps, this is my bro, Sans. He built this little bitty corner for you and worked really hard on it, so why don’t you give it a go, yeah?”

I was crying now. I messed up, they weren’t going to be nice, weren’t going to leave me alone to go at my own pace like the bitty center promised. They were going to hurt me. I had to be good– needed to–

“Hey, hey, you’re alright,” Papyrus’s deep voice suddenly dipped in surprise. His grip loosened and he pulled me toward his chest, other hand rising so he could touch the top of my head. I flinched away. “You’re not in trouble, I’m sorry . . .”

“I _told_ you,” Sans snapped, “put her in the corner.”

I was moved and noticed the bitty corner for the first time. It was kind of like a cottage built into the corner of the house specifically for bitties, small, usually just a bedroom. Papyrus used the tips of his fingers to push the door open, and tilted me toward it. I jumped off his hand and dashed inside. I barely got a look at the interior, choosing to jump into the bitty-sized bed and hide under the blankets instead, sobbing into the soft cushion.

“I didn’t know . . .” Papyrus’s voice was saying.

“You were supposed to read the pamphlets, you lazybones!”

“I figured she’d just be like . . .”

“She’s not,” Sans cut him off, “she’s been traumatized and abused, and is mentally fragile. We need to give her space.”

“Sure, yeah, alright.”

“It’s dinner time, come on.”

Then the voices disappeared, replaced with the occasional clink of silverware. After a moment I stopped crying and was able to calm down.

I pulled down the blanket and took in the bitty cottage.

It was . . . lovely.

It was spacious, with a bedroom area, a table, and a sitting area. The walls were lined in a relaxing wallpaper, a big lounge chair was covered with a fluffy blanket, and there were empty bookshelves awaiting reading material and collectables. Warm twinkle lights were hung from the ceiling, and the walls were covered in postcards and little paintings. There were even lovely little plants throughout the room in adorable tiny pots.

It was so homey and quaint, nothing like the plain bitty center I had come from. I wandered around it, taking in the little details, touching the furniture. There were some windows, but were covered with thick curtains so I could look out but no one could look in.

I searched the ceiling for hinges – all the bitty ‘homes’ at the center had them, but this didn’t, it was solid.

I actually felt . . . safe. A little bit, anyway.

There was a knock at the door.

I jumped and looked at it in surprise.

“Shy?” That was Sans’s voice. “I understand you’ve had a scare, but you need to eat. Will you open the door and take your food please?”

I stared at the door. I could do that, right? Just open the door and get the food. I wasn’t that broken . . . right?

“I need to know that you’re eating,” Sans insisted, “it’s right here by the door.”

Okay, okay, I could do this.

I grabbed the doorknob and slowly pulled it open, peering out through the crack. As promised, the food was on the doorstep, and Sans had given me a wide berth. I was grateful for that. I pulled the door open and picked up the plate of food.

I carefully looked up and saw him staring at me.

He didn’t look kind. He looked hard. His eyes were sharp and red, scars ran down his face, carved into the bone.

He looked . . . the way I felt.

“Is that alright?” He asked, nodding toward the food. I looked down at it, not really seeing it, and nodded anyway.

“Do you need anything else?”

_Say something . . ._

I shook my head.

“Alright, well, please call for us if you do. My brother, Papyrus, he gets ahead of himself but he won’t hurt you. Neither of us will.”

I didn’t say anything, I just continued to look at the food.

With a sigh, Sans started to stand up, so I took that as my cue to leave. I eagerly turned back to the door, but when I did, there was a foot blocking my way.

I gasped and dropped my plate, it clattered to the floor. Towering above me was Papyrus. Where had he come from? I hadn’t heard or seen him . . .

“You gotta say ‘thank you’, darlin’.”

“Paps!” Sans scolded. “Let her go back inside! She’s had a long day!”

Papyrus didn’t answer, just kept staring at me, waiting.

I was completely frozen, I wanted to run and hide, but I couldn’t. I was too focused on the giant foot blocking me from the only place in this house that was mine, a foot that could kill me with one misstep.

“ _Say_ something, kid.”

“Honestly, Papyrus, she’s probably still out of it from the sedative.” Sans took a step forward, but then stopped.

Papyrus kneeled down to one knee, orange lights sparking in the darkness of his eye sockets.

I could only tremble, staring at him in horror as he reached for me. Tears overflowed and fell from my unblinking eyes. His strong fingers wrapped around my body and squeezed.

“They hurt you, kid? Grab you like this without permission? Hurt you when you talked back?”

A wheeze leaked out of my throat, an attempt to scream.

“Well we’re not going to hurt you when you talk, so do it. You still got your voice, use it.” He squeezed tighter, lifting my feet off the ground.

“Papyrus this isn’t the way!”

“You want me to let go? Then say so. Tell me what you want.”

“Put her –!”

He shook me.

Something snapped. My inhale was sharp and painful.

“LET ME GO!” I shrieked, struggling against his grip.

His fingers immediately went slack and I slipped out of his hand. “Get-GET OUT OF MY WAY!” I screamed at his foot. It moved. I ran into the house and fled for the blankets, burying myself into the bed. I gasped for air, panting and sobbing while the deep voices of the skeletons hissed and argued above me.

“I can’t believe you did that!”

“Maybe you ought to scold me somewhere else, bro,” Papyrus said. “How soundproof are her walls?”

“How are we supposed to–?”

Then silence.

I shut my eyes and pressed myself into the pillow. I just wanted to sleep, but my heart was pounding so fast. I used the calming techniques they taught me at the bitty center. Deep belly breaths, kneed the blanket, look around – I have walls and a roof, safe and private.

Finally I was able to calm down, and immediately passed out.

* * *

When I woke up, I was starving.

I winced at the pain in my stomach and sat up, unable to ignore it. Was the food I had dropped still outside? I opened the door and found the house to be blissfully dark and quiet, it must have been late, with the brothers fast asleep.

But the food was gone, someone must have cleaned it up.

I wandered out of the bitty corner, looking around and finding no threats. This was always my favorite time of night, when I was alone and everything was quiet. Often at the bitty center I would sleep all day and come out after everyone else had gone to sleep, just to enjoy the peace.

I wandered across the floor into the kitchen, thinking about how to get some food. The fridge would be too hard to open, and I’d risk getting stuck inside. Instead I found a tall pantry door and was able to push that open without much difficulty.

There wasn’t much to choose from, most of the food was canned, and the tall shelves were out of reach, but there were some crackers, cereal, and snack cakes I could get to.

I went to an open cereal box first, tipping it over so that I could crawl inside and grab some palm-sized pieces. After I had my fill I found a package of cinnabunnies and popped one open, eager for some sugar.

Then the kitchen light came on.

I gasped and looked up in surprise. The pantry door was wide open, letting the light spill in. A tall figure stepped in and looked down.

Papyrus.

I froze up, eyes straining as they widened. He frowned at me and took a step forward.

“Stay back!” I yelped, the order catching me by surprise.

Papyrus stopped and took a step back. I hugged my dessert and watched him. Was I in trouble for stealing food? What was he going to do to me?

“Want some help?” He asked. His eyes were lidded sleepily and I realized he was only wearing pajama pants with no shirt. The sight of his ribs and spine was shocking.

“N-no . . .”

“You sure? I can find you something more substantial. I read in the pamphlet that you like macaroni and cheese.”

Mac and cheese?

Papyrus pointed at something on the high shelf and reached for it, I recognized the blue box, and he gave it a shake.

“How about I make some? Think of it as an apology for earlier.” Then he turned away and left.

I listened, still frozen in place. I heard the clank of a pot and running water, then silence.

Still holding my bunny, I stepped forward and peeked out of the pantry. Papyrus stood at the stove, looking at a phone while he waited for the water to boil. He didn’t look at me.

I continued forward, not taking my eyes off him. I was ready to run back to the bitty corner, but then he opened the box and I heard the pasta drop into the pot.

I swallowed as I began to salivate. I loved macaroni, and I hadn’t eaten all day.

I stared at Papyrus’s bare bones, entranced by how he moved, how the bones were thick and more limb-shaped than human bones. The other thing I noticed was that they were covered in scars. Deep gashes in his arms and back that turned into shadows under the kitchen light.

They were everywhere.

“You’re . . . like me,” I whispered.

Papyrus turned his head. “What’s that?”

I pointed. He looked down at his body and frowned. “What? Got a _bone_ to pick with me?”

“Scars . . .”

“Sorry, darlin’, can’t hear you down there. Can I put you on the table? Then we can talk?”

I didn’t want to be picked up, especially by him, but looking up was straining my neck and . . . I did have questions.

I nodded.

Papyrus bent down and offered me his hand. I stared at it a moment, remembering how he had grabbed me before. Trembling, cinnabunny smushed under my arms, I stepped onto his palm. Papyrus carefully rose, lifting me like an elevator and stopped at the table. I quickly jumped off.

“What were you asking?” Papyrus asked, turning back to the stove to stir the macaroni.

“Your scars.”

He didn’t reply.  
“Someone hurt you?”

“Yeah, several someones over a long period of time. The Underground wasn’t a friendly place.”

“I have scars too.”

“Hm?” Papyrus turned to me casually, but froze as he watched me lift up my shirt, revealing a collection of white scars over my stomach and back. He stepped forward and leaned down to get a closer look.

“Yeah, Sans said you came from an abusive situation.”

I nodded.

“Want to talk about it?”

I shook my head.

Pap turned back to the stove and turned the heat off. After draining the water he dumped the noodles into a bowl and mixed it with the powdered cheese. I licked my lips with anticipation. He filled a bowl for himself then placed some on a bitty sized dish for me. It came with a tiny fork as well.

“Thank you,” I whispered, taking the plate.

“’M sorry for scaring you earlier,” Pap said, taking a seat at the table. I watched him wearily, eating the cheesy dish. “It’s just . . . that’s how Sans helped me.”

There was a pause.

“I wanted to hide away too, with each day I just shrank further in on myself, but Sans wouldn’t let me. Whenever someone beat me down he would sort of . . . beat me back up, if that makes sense. Tough love, that sort of thing.”

He took a big bite and I found myself staring. He didn’t really chew, since he didn’t have lips, just slid the noodles off the fork with his teeth and swallowed it whole.

“Anyway, that’s all I know. Don’t run away, don’t let them take your voice . . . fight back. You can fight back against us kid, we won’t hurt you.”

“S’not that easy,” I mumbled, going back to my food. I felt my eyes becoming hot and wet. “I slept in a shoebox . . . couldn’t ask . . . I was just a–!”

I was crying too hard to continue.

Papyrus reached forward and cupped a hand around me. I pulled myself into a ball, hugging my knees. The warmth of his hand incased me, giant fingers stroking my back.

“I’m sorry, darlin’.”

“It’s different for you,” I whimpered, “you can fight back, even though you couldn’t, you _could_ , it wasn’t impossible. It’s impossible for me. I’m at everything’s mercy . . . it’s so easy to get tired of me and put me in a box . . .”

He heaved a deep, sympathetic sigh, and I felt his breath brush my hair. I looked up at him desperately, head pounding, breath heaving. My hands had found his thumb and had clasped on.

“I’m so scared . . . all the time.”

His hand tightened a bit around me, but I didn’t mind. I burrowed down into his fingers, preferring to be hidden than out in the open.

“What’s going on?” San’s voice, confused and sleepy, interrupted the moment. I peeked up and saw the shorter skeleton dressed in silk pajamas.

“Oh, sorry, bro. Did we wake you?”

“’We’? Ah! Shy? Are you alright? What are you doing _now_ Papyrus?!”

“Hey, it wasn’t me, she was already up! Ass.”

“Don’t ‘Ass’ me! It’s only day one and you’ve retraumatized her.”

“No I didn’t,” Papyrus rolled his eyes, “we’re best buds now, ain’t that right?” he looked down at me and opened his fingers a bit so that Sans could see me better.

I raised my tiny plate to him. “Macaroni.”

“See?”

“Well at least you payed attention to something in the pamphlet.” Sans strode to the table and sat down. “Shy? Are you alright? I must apologize for my brother’s earlier behavior.”

Papyrus started to move his hand and panic gripped me. I reached up and grabbed his ring finger, then looked up at him imploringly.

Papyrus raised a bonebrow. “You want something you gotta ask, remember?”

“Keep your hand around me?”

“Sure.” He lowered it back down and I relaxed again, leaning against his palm. Oddly enough, tight spaces didn’t scare me, in fact it was the only time I felt safe.

“That’s quite a turn,” Sans said, surprised.

“That’s the power of mac and cheese, baby.”

“Ugh, shut up, Papyrus.”

* * *

When I woke up I was still in Papyrus’s hand.

I didn’t remember falling asleep. I had eaten my food, the brothers were talking and then . . . it was morning. Papyrus’s fingers were curled around me, and his head was resting on the table, eyes closed (whoa, he had eyelids) as he slumbered.

I smelled coffee and saw the kitchen lit up by sunlight.

It had been a long time since I had seen morning sunlight.

I carefully opened my body and crawled out from under Papyrus’s hand. He didn’t respond. I walked across the table, looking around and taking in the _openness_ of the room. I was so used to hiding in small dark places. It didn’t feel so scary now.

For a while I just stood at the table end staring at the window, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine falling through. I followed the beam as it moved, not noticing Sans come in until he cleared his throat.

I jumped and shrank down. Sans ignored this and went to the coffee maker.

“Coffee? Breakfast?” he asked.

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. _You want something you gotta ask._ “Yesplease.”

I watched Sans work with study hands to fill a tiny cup for me, then cut off a piece of bagel that he pulled out. A smear of cream cheese later and I was set. I sat down and ate quickly.

“Got some for me, bro?”

I jumped. Papyrus hadn’t even moved but he sounded wide awake.

“ _No_. Lazy bones.”

“Why does the bitty get the special treatment?”

“I _like_ the bitty,” Sans gave me a wink. I blushed.

“Worst. Brother. Ever.” Papyrus groaned and pushed himself up. He tried to reach for a coffee cup but the counter was too far. Sans rolled his eyelights, but finally gave in, pouring coffee into the cup and handing it over to Papyrus. The skeleton opened his mouth and poured the drink past his teeth.

When I finished eating I rose silently and went to the edge of the table. I could feel the brother’s watching me, but I ignored them, jumping onto a chair, then down to the floor. I walked out of the kitchen into the living room back toward the bitty corner.

Before I could reach my little house a golden glow caught my eye. I stopped at the sight of a ray of sunshine falling through a gap in the curtains. Dust particles danced in the light then disappeared as they floated away. I reached my hand out to touch it, and it felt like a solid thing. Warmth shot up my arm, making the rest of my body shiver. I stepped into the light completely and realized that I had not had real sunlight in a very, very long time.

The creak of the floorboard caught my attention and I looked over my shoulder to see Papyrus standing behind me, his large, boney feet standing on either side of me. He kneeled and offered me his hand.

I sat down in his palm and held his thumb in my little hand. He carefully lifted me and went to the front door.

I gasped as the cool morning air touched me, followed by the sunlight as we stepped out into the yard.

It had been so, very long . . .

I was crying. Gasping and taking deep gulps of air like a person drowning. I stood up and tilted my head toward the breeze.

“How did you know?” I stammered, sniffing.

“Because I saw that same look on Sans’s face when we first came to the surface,” Papyrus said.

“ _Your_ face had the stupid look,” Sans countered. I hadn’t realized that he had followed us outside.

They _knew_. They both understood what I’d been through. It felt liberating not to be alone. The three of us stayed out for the rest of the morning, the boys enjoying their coffee, and me just soaking in the sun.

* * *

“No!” I screamed at Papyrus as he tried to cup me in his hands.

“Don’t you want on the table?”

“I don’t need your help!” Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I had fallen off the chair several times now trying to climb it. “I can do it myself!”

“Will you stop being so difficult? It’ll take two seconds.”

“Don’t touch me!”

“What’s going on?” Sans entered the kitchen, looking exasperated.

I didn’t blame him. I had been acting like this for weeks now. Full of anger. It was as if the fear of being punished for asking for things had been the wall holding back all my demands, and I was acting out to the point of violence.

“Shy, calm down . . .”

“That’s not my name! I’m not your pet, you can’t just call me whatever you want!”

Papyrus held his hands up in surrender, finally backing up. Still sobbing I went back to the chair and attempted to climb it again.

“Don’t look at me!” I shrieked at the two brothers.

“Just leave her alone, Papyrus,” Sans said, crossing his arms, “let her have her tantrum.”

“Shut up! You don’t understand _anything_!”

“Kid, you need to _breath_ ,” Papyrus insisted. I ignored him, digging my nails into the wood of the chair and hauling myself up.

“Nope, just leave her alone,” Sans said again, “she said she doesn’t want help, so don’t help her.”

“Fuck you!” I finally managed to grab the seat of the chair and pull myself up to my chest. I kicked my legs wildly, screaming and crying the whole way. I got a leg hooked, it slipped. I hooked it again and this time managed to roll to the top of the chair seat. My body gave out, collapsing as I gasped for air.

Sans stepped forward and glared down at me. “You done?”

I screamed at him, snarling and baring my teeth.

“So scary.”

I attacked him. I ran forward and jumped off the chair. I tried to grab his clothes, but my body was so tired that I immediately fell. I heard Papyrus gasp, but ignored him. I landed on Sans’s shoe, so I lifted the hem of his pant leg and laid into him, punching and biting at the bone of his ankle. I heard him hiss with pain, then he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me. I bit at his fingers instead.

“Stop!” He shouted. It felt good to get a reaction out of him, to cause harm. I felt in control.

So I bit harder.

Sans winced and bared his sharp teeth at me, red eyelights flashing. “You want to act like an animal? Fine!” He turned, squeezing as I thrashed in his hand.

Then I saw what he was heading toward.

The breadbox.

I froze and started to scream. “No, nonono-!” I babbled and begged, caving in to panic.

“ _Sans!_ ” Papyrus grabbed his brother’s wrist – the one holding me – and everything kind of froze. Sans blinked, seeming to realize what he was doing, horror and regret filled his face. I was a sniffling mess, snot and tears staining my face.

He quickly put me down.

I ran, making a dead sprint for the bitty corner. When I got inside I threw myself into the bed and sobbed into the pillow. I wiped my face on it.

“Shy- er, I mean . . . I’m so sorry,” Sans’s voice whispered from the rooftop.

_I’m sorry too._ I thought. What was wrong with me? Why was I so angry?

I didn’t sleep well, and when I did I nightmared about the skeleton brothers locking me in a box. I woke up to blackness, and it was too much. I left the corner and ordered the smart home to turn on the lights. This helped me calm down, but I was still afraid and torn up about what had happened earlier.

I walked down the hallway – glad that this was a single-story house – and found Sans’s room. Both brothers kept their doors ajar at night in case of an emergency, so I pushed it open easily and walked to his bed.

“S-Sans?” I whimpered.

The skeleton shot up immediately, making me jump in surprise.

“Shy? What’s wrong?”

“Saaaaans . . .” I whined as fresh tears fell.

“Hey, hey . . .” Sans leaned over the bed to see me better. I grabbed his hand and hugged it.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry . . .”

“Do you want up on the bed?”

I nodded and Sans lifted me.

“I’m sorry I bit you,” I buried my face in my hands. Sans cupped me in his palms. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I’m so mad all the time! I’m broken, they broke me . . .”

“Stop,” Sans said firmly. “Stop crying, catch your breath.”

I did as told, focusing on getting air instead of talking. Slowly my tears subsided.

“You have nothing to apologize for. I grabbed you without permission, I almost . . . put you in the bread box,” Sans gritted his teeth. “This is all on me. It’s my job to deescalate these situations and I made a mistake. I was just . . . I was scared you were going to hurt yourself, I didn’t know what to do . . .”

He sighed tiredly.

“Did I hurt you?” I murmured.

“No, your puny human teeth could never do real harm to me.” Sans smirked. “Listen . . . I spoke to the manager at the bitty center–”

“Don’t send me back!” I cried out.

Sans blinked at me. “First off, stop assuming I’m going to punish you for anything. You are my ward. You’re not a pet, not a foster, and you will never come into harm while you are in this house, nor will you leave it unless you want to.” He stared into my eyes, waiting for me to nod before continuing. “I spoke to the manager because she knows what you’re going through. You’ve been _abused_ , Shy, forced into obedience and now you’re trying to find your voice, trying to find control. You’re not broken.”

I was looking down at my hands, so Sans put a fingertip under my chin and lifted my head. “You’re incredibly strong, and I should know, I’ve seen much bigger, scarier monsters break under far less.”

He pushed the tears off my cheeks then brought me to his pillow. I stepped off his hands and laid down, head pounding. He laid his head next to me, eyelights glowing dimly. “Talk to me. Tell me what happened, and what you’re scared of.”

I did. I opened up and let it all out, using the freedom you only get from three a.m. darkness. I talked until I passed out, and when I woke up it was afternoon, both of us still on the pillow facing each other.

I kissed the bone between his eyes. Sans smiled. 

* * *

I gave myself a name.

Bitties don’t remember their lives before shrinking, so I didn’t know what my real name was. That was okay. I spend days on the internet researching interesting names and their meanings. I would tell Papyrus the most ridiculous ones I could find, and he would suggest his own.

“Dick Butkus.”

“Tynyfer, with two Ys.”

“Lakynn.”

In the end I wanted a font name like my skeleton roommates. I picked Arial, and ‘Shy’ was officially gone.

While I was doing that, Sans was making additions to the house. He added small ladders to the tables, couch, and window sills so that I could get to where ever I wanted. The bitty center set me up with a virtual therapist. Since I was talking again it was time to address my past abuse and work through it. She helped me with my anger problems, and encouraged me to go outside more.

Papyrus helped with that, taking me into their backyard and watching over me while I did exercises on the patio. I refused to go into the actual yard because of bugs. Sans added to that as well, making a little swing for me to enjoy.

Even the bread box disappeared.

One day Sans joined us outside. Papyrus lounged in a folding chair smoking a dog treat while I swung, trying to see how high I could go.

“I need to go to the store!” Sans announced.

“Okay!”

“I think you should come with me.”

I stopped swinging.

“I know going out has been an issue for you, but your therapist did say you need to get out of the house.”

“Yeah, I know . . .” I mumbled.

“It’s a quick trip. I’m just getting milk and coffee.”

“Ehh . . .”

“If you come I’ll get macaroni and cheese as well.” 

I perked up at that. We had been out for a while, and I was definitely craving some. “You bribing me?”

“Yes, I think that was obvious,” Sans rolled his eyes. “I’ll get you a candy too.”

“I can come if you want, sugar plum,” Papyrus said, “you can ride with me.”

“Alright, I’ll do it. Just . . . keep me close.”

Papyrus picked me up and set me on his shoulder. We walked around the house to the car parked out front. I didn’t like the idea of a car ride either. I stayed on Papyrus’s shoulder, hugging his neck as Sans drove us to the store. My heart hammered faster and faster the closer we got.

When we arrived I was stiff as a board, clinging to Papyrus’s neck so that I wouldn’t tremble. He put his hood up, hiding me from sight and I relaxed just a little.

So many people. So many places to get lost and hurt.

Sans led the way, marching ahead while Papyrus lazily ambled along behind him, stopping and getting distracted by junk food.

“Oreos or chocolate chip?”

“Um . . .”

“Yeah, you’re right. Both.”

“Papyrus! Stay focused!” Sans shouted.

“Just getting the essentials.”

“Cheese puffs are not ‘essential’!”

“All growing bitties need them. Read the pamphlet.”

“That was a fake pamphlet you made with crayons!”

“Thought I did a good job making it authentic.”

We continued on. I was happy for junk food, but the real prize was the macaroni. I kept my eyes peeled as we entered the pasta aisle, but I didn’t see the familiar blue box.

“I think they might be out, Arial.”

“No!” I leaned out of Papyrus’s hood, but Sans was right, there were only off-brand versions available.

“Sorry, sugar plum,” Papyrus said, “we’ll try again next week.”

But I wanted it _now_. I had come all this way, terrified and way out of my comfort zone, and I wanted my just deserts.

Or ‘just cheesy pastas’ in this case.

But what was there to do? I slumped in defeat as we headed for the checkout. Sans paused to select a package of coffee where another woman was standing.

In her cart, I spotted a blue box. I jolted up, eyes locking on target. Papyrus’s eyelights glanced at me from the corner of his socket and a little smirk played in the corner of his mouth.

Before I knew it, I was on the move.

I climbed down into his jacket and found the sleeve. Papyrus angled his arm so that I slid down into his hand. From there I jumped into the cart. I ducked behind a box of cereal and peeked out, the lady hadn’t noticed, too busy scrutinizing the different flavors of coffee.

I went for the macaroni, grabbing the box and lifting it up. It was big, but light, and I was able to get it over the side of the cart above my head. Papyrus pulled Sans’s cart next to it just as it tipped, and it fell into ours.

The cart I was in started to move.

I squeaked and ducked down again, trembling as I was taken down the aisle, further from Sans and Papyrus.

_Don’t panic, Papyrus wouldn’t let you get lost._

That thought kept me from losing my head. When the cart stopped again I wasted no time climbing the bars and dropping down to the tile floor.

I looked up, searching for my skeletons, but they weren’t there. I had so much confidence that Papyrus would be standing right there that when he wasn’t, I froze.

They left me . . .

I started running, sprinting down the aisle past giant feet and giant cans of food. The floor was dirty. A cart wheel passed me, spinning and squeaking. I screamed and dodged out of the way. I thought I heard a voice shout, but I just kept running, calling out their names.

There was a flash of magic and I ran smack into an ankle. I stumbled back and a pair of hands caught me, keeping me from falling.

“Arial!”

“You left me!” I screamed. The hands closed in closer and I wrapped my arms around the fingers. “You left me . . . I was lost . . .”

“Didn’t leave you, sugar plum, had you in my sights the whole time.”

“I couldn’t see you . . .” I sniffed and buried my face in the sleeve of his jacket. The ground disappeared beneath my feet as Papyrus lifted me up, cupping me to his chest. I grabbed the fabric of his shirt.

“I was right behind you, I promise, I just teleported down the aisle so I could intercept the cart you were in. I didn’t expect you to climb out yourself. That was pretty cool.”

“What was?” I mumbled, wiping my face.

“How you just went for the macaroni and got out by yourself. I thought you would freeze up, but you did great. You’ve come a long way, Arial, you should be proud of yourself.”

“R-really?”

“Hell yeah.”

A nervous laugh escaped my mouth as I realized he was right. Weeks ago I wouldn’t have even gone for the food, let alone make it out of the cart. Progress.

“So, we eat macaroni tonight, right?”

“You earned it.”

* * *

I hummed happily as I ate my meal. Sans had of course noticed it when we checked out and had been suspicious, but Papyrus had distracted him with puns. The macaroni tasted extra good, and I relished the cheesy delight. The three of us sat and ate on the couch while watching television, an activity Sans didn’t approve of, but had been forced into when Papyrus and I refused to move from our seats.

Sans’s cell phone went off and he stepped out of the room to take the call.

“So, who do you think is going to win this season?” I asked.

“The lady who makes the squirrels and woodsy creatures.”

“Really? But the other guy is so talented!”

“Yeah, but she’s confident and keeps a cool head under pressure. I think that’ll be the winning factor.”

I turned back to the screen and watched the baking show continue. Sans returned, putting his phone away.

“We have been summoned, Papyrus, get your shoes.”

Papyrus groaned and slumped into the couch. “Why do I have to go?”

“You’re still technically part of the royal guard.”

Papyrus sighed and continued to slide until he hit the floor.

“You both have to go?” I asked.

“Yes, the queen has called a mandatory meeting, but it should only be an hour or two. You’ll be okay by yourself, right?”

I wasn’t sure, this would be the first time I’d be by myself. But I would be fine, right? Just watch TV until they got back. I was an adult.

“Y-yeah, of course.”

“You can come with if you want,” Papyrus said, “though it’ll be pretty boring.”

“No, I’ll be okay here,” I insisted, “no problem.”

“We’ll be back shortly then,” Sans said grabbing the scruff of Papyrus’s hoodie. He dragged him to the door while Papyrus waved at me.

“See ya soon, sugar.”

“Bye,” I waved back. The door shut, and the house went silent.

I hated it.

Sure the TV was on, but it wasn’t the same. I settled in and tried to ignore my anxiety telling myself it was good to have time apart, time for _me_. I considered if there was anything I wanted to do with the privacy I had. An idea popped into my head. I turned off the TV and asked the smart home to play dance music. Once the beat hit I jumped onto the coffee table and started to dance.

My moves weren’t specific, but it felt good to let loose. I spun, stomped my foot, rolled across the ground and struck a pose, high on adrenaline.

I had been so wrapped up in all I hadn’t heard the door open, and I didn’t notice the two assailants enter the house until it was too late. The song suddenly cut off with a crash. I screamed and turned around, seeing two people dressed in black, their heads hidden by bike helmets. One of them had buried a wrench into the smart home.

I ran.

I leapt off the coffee table and sprinted down the hallway, but of course I was no match for the full-sized intruder. He overtook me and swept me off the ground. I screamed and struggled, but a harsh squeeze knocked the air out of my lungs.

“You want to live through this?” The intruder hissed grabbing my neck between two gloved fingers threateningly. Tears immediately burst from my eyes. “Then keep quiet.”

My whole body vibrated, shaking with fear. I was taken to the kitchen where my capture grabbed a glass mixing bowl and tossed me onto the table. Before I could get my bearings the bowl was placed on top of me.

“Hurry up,” the second one snapped.

“It’s fine, just start packing.”

I was left in the kitchen while the two burglars began ransacking the house. I could hear the shatter of glass and moving of furniture. It was hard to see passed the warped glass walls around me. Shaking, I curled up and hugged my knees.

I had to do something. I couldn’t just let them rob my home.

Sans had a phone in his bedroom, but . . .

I jumped when I heard another crash. It sounded like they were trying to get the television off the wall. I couldn’t just _sit_ here. What if they decided to . . . get rid of the witness?

I sniffed and wiped my face on my sleeve.

_You’ve come a long way, Arial_.

Papyrus’s praise echoed in my head. I had come so far from the scared little bitty in the carrier. I could do this. I _had_ to do this.

Tentatively, I pressed my hands against the bowl and gave it a push. It wasn’t heavy, and the arguing from the living room meant they wouldn’t hear the bowl sliding. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and pushed the bowl to the edge of the table until I had a gap. I looked over my shoulder to make sure the coast was clear, then jumped down.

I hit the floor with a soft thump and hid myself behind a table leg. Another deep breath. I could do this.

Luckily the kitchen had two doors, one connecting to the living room, the other connecting to the hallway. I ran to the second doorway and dashed down the hall, not bothering to check over my shoulder. I was running on fear and adrenaline and there was no time for thinking.

I dashed into Sans’s room, always graciously ajar, and there on his desk was a landline telephone used for Royal Guard business. There was no mini ladder for the desk, so I went for the chair instead. I jumped for the seat, grabbing onto the cushion. The force of my jump made it spin as I pulled myself up. I waited for it to come around again and then hopped onto the arm, and from there to the desk top.

Panting, I finally made it to the phone and pushed the handset off the receiver. I pressed my hands against the giant buttons, taking the time to dial out the longer number for Papyrus’s cell phone rather than emergency services. I needed help _now_ , not someone to clean up my body.

“Hello?” Papyrus’s confused voice came through the phone.

“Pap! Come hom-!”

A hand clamped down on me, a gloved finger planting itself over my mouth to muffle my screams. I was lifted and my captor hung up the phone.

“Times up,” intruder one said to his partner, who stood in the bedroom door holding the TV.

“Shit, we didn’t get a chance to look for safes or cash.”

“Can’t take the chance. Get the stuff to the van, I’ll take care of this.” He gave me a shake, and I felt my spine turn to solid ice.

_No, no, nonono!_

I squirmed and struggled, but it made no difference to the man holding me hostage. He carried me back down the hall into the kitchen, where he took a large carving knife from one of our drawers.

I moaned behind the glove, trying to plead and scream, but was ignored. The thief pressed me down onto the table, and raised the knife for a killing blow.

“Stop!” I recognized Papyrus’s voice, then the table cracked beneath me as a bone shot up from the floor and hit the table, splitting the wood.

The thief jumped back, grabbing me up again, and pressed his back against the wall. We both looked up in shock at the two skeletons now standing in the kitchen. Papyrus was glaring at us, with one of his eyes alight with orange flame. Sans stood next to him, eye sockets empty.

“Stay back!” The thief ordered, putting the blade against my throat. I wailed as the cold metal touched my skin.

“I will give you one chance to put her down,” Sans said coldly, “just one. Use it wisely.”

“You back off right now or I’ll–”

He never finished.

I heard the sound of twisting flesh, and the knife fell from my throat. I turned my head to see, catching only a flash of blood, before skeletal fingers filled my line of sight, and I was snatched out of the assailant’s hand.

Suddenly I was on the porch being held by Papyrus. I blinked in confusion, looking around.

“Arial, are you hurt? Are you okay?”

I looked up into his concerned eyes, and realized that his hands were shaking beneath me.

“I– I’m not . . .” I felt my face melt into a deep frown as I began to cry. “Pap they were gonna-! I almost-!”

“Shh, shh,” Papyrus held me close and I tried to burrow into his shirt as he cupped his hands around me, stroking my hair with a fingertip.

I heard the door open and looked up to see Sans step outside. “Authorities are on their way. Is Arial hurt?”

“Don’t think so, just scared.”

“I-is he . . .? Did you . . .?”

“He is incapacitated and will need a trip to the hospital, but he will, unfortunately, live,” Sans huffed. He stepped forward and peered at me, touching my cheek with one of his fingers. I leaned into it and hugged the phalange tight.

“You did good, Arial. It was wise of you to call Papyrus.”

I nodded.

“Poor darlin’, just what you needed, another topic for therapy.”

I coughed out a wet laugh. “I want ice cream.”

The boys chuckled. “We’ll take care of this when the police arrive, then you can have all the ice cream you want.”

“Banana split.”

Papyrus lifted me closer to his face to nuzzle me against his cheek. I didn’t let go of Sans’s finger though, and his hand came along for the ride.

“You did great, brave girl.”

* * *

It was close to midnight before we were able to get ice cream, the three of us haggard and tired, sitting around a tiny table at the only ice cream place still open. I ate myself stupid with chocolate and marshmallow while Papyrus rubbed my back. Sans was focused on his phone, typing intently.

Through mouthfuls of ice cream, I explained my plan for fortifying the house. “I say we go full ‘Home Alone’ on them. Flame thrower above the door . . .”

“Tar the stairs,” Papyrus nodded sagely.

“Spikes under all the windows.”

“Don’t forget the red-hot doorknobs.”

“I’m literally ordering a security system as we speak,” Sans said, “do _not_ hang paint cans from my ceiling.”

“What if we get Arial a pet tarantula then?” Paps suggested.

“Yeah!”

“ _No._ ”

Sans payed for the ice cream. Papyrus cradled me in his hand. I had laid down on his palm and was on the verge of passing out, and allowed myself to relax, on the cusp of sleep. The tall skeleton finished off what dessert I wasn’t able to eat, and the two were ready to go home.

Sans took a coffee to go, telling Papyrus that he wanted to get the house spotless before I woke up.

“Gonna take you all night,” Papyrus said.

“It’s fine. I don’t want her reminded of what happened.”

I heard the ding of the shop bell as we stepped outside onto the quiet street. I curled up tighter on myself and Papyrus covered me with his other hand like a blanket.

“Keep her with you tonight,” Sans ordered, “in case she wakes up.”

Papyrus hummed and nodded, caressing my cheek with his fingertip. “We got pretty lucky finding her, huh?”

Sans nodded. “That we did.”

“Not going to let anything happen to her, right?”

Sans nodded. “I’ve ordered the best security system on the market. Nothing like this will ever happen again.”

“Good. You feel like some mac and cheese?”

Sans chuckled. “You know, I always hated the stuff, but I’ve grown rather fond of it now.”

I smiled, and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
